Claims
- 1. In a method of thermally decomposing sulfuric acid, by heating the sulfuric acid to a high thermal decomposition temperature of about 830.degree. C., the improvement comprising:
- preheating the sulfuric acid before decomposition to a temperature of from 300.degree. C. to 400.degree. C. by directly mixing the sulfuric acid with a perfluoro (propylene oxide) liquid polymer having a degree of polymerization from about 10 to 60, said polymer being chemically stable to concentrated sulfuric acid at said temperature, having low miscibility with sulfuric acid at said temperature and having a low vapor pressure at said temperature to form a mixture.
- 2. A method according to claim 1 further including the steps of separating the mixture into a layer of said liquid polymer and a layer of preheated sulfuric acid, removing the sulfuric acid layer and further heating the preheated sulfuric acid to above its decomposition temperature to generate decomposition gases comprising SO.sub.2, H.sub.2 O and O.sub.2.
- 3. A method according to claim 2 further including the steps of heating said liquid polymer to a temperature from 300.degree. C. to 400.degree. C. by placing it in indirect heat exchange contact with said decomposition gases.
- 4. A method according to claim 3 further including the steps of separating oxygen from the decomposition gases and electrochemically reacting the remaining SO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O to form hydrogen gas and sulfuric acid and recycling the sulfuric acid to said preheating step.
- 5. A method according to claim 2 in which the sulfuric acid is heated to decomposition temperature by heat supplied by heating a heat exchange fluid by means of a thermonuclear reactor and/or a solar concentrator heater.
- 6. A method according to claim 1 in which the vapor-pressure of said liquid polymer at 25.degree. C. is less than about 0.1 mm mercury.
- 7. A method according to claim 1 in which the degree of polymerization is from about 30 to about 50.
- 8. A method according to claim 1 in which the amount of sulfuric acid in the mixture is from 10 to 60% by volume.
ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION
The invention described herein was made in the performance of work under a NASA contract and is subject to the provisions of Section 305 of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, public law 83-568 (72 Statute 435; 42 U.S.C. 2457).
US Referenced Citations (10)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Alien Property Custodian, Ser. No. 292,742 (Jul. 13, 1943). |